Earth ChangesS


Radar

Strong 6.2 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes off Papua New Guinea


The Sacramento Bee
Mon, 25 Jul 2011 04:44 UTC
A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea. There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries and no tsunami alert was issued.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-6.2 quake struck Monday 46 miles (73 kilometers) south of the town of Kavieng on the island of New Ireland. The earthquake struck at a depth of 21 miles (34 kilometers).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami alert.

The Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea lies on the "Ring of Fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim and where about 90 percent of the world's quakes occur.

Source: The Associated Press
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Stop

US, Idaho: Giant Hole Closes Hwy 55 Near Marsing


Idaho Press Tribune
Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:14 UTC
Image
© Jessie L. Bonner/The Associated Press
The Idaho Transportation Department closed a section of Highway 55 east of Homedale Sunday evening after a culvert failed and irrigation waters ate a 20-foot wide hole into the side of the road.

Until it is repaired, drivers must take detours along Pershall, Edison and Thompson roads.

A Department of Transportation spokesman listed two probable causes for the culvert's failure: holes in the pipe allowed water to seep through or debris plugged the pipe so pooling water undermined surrounding earth.
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No Entry

US, Illinois: Sinkhole Causes Hicks Lane Closures

Brian Slupski
Palatine Patch
Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00 UTC
Image
© Jennifer Mondy
A 20-foot sinkhole has appeared under Hicks Road near Dundee Avenue. Residents are encouraged to avoid the intersection if possible.

A 20-foot sinkhole has opened along and under Hicks Road near Dundee Road, Palatine police said.

The sinkhole forced the closure of all northbound lanes on Hicks. Traffic has been shifted to the southbound lanes, reducing Hicks to one lane of traffic in each direction, Palatine Fire Department Battalion Chief William Gabrenya said.

Gabrenya said the sinkhole opened because of a sewer line collapsed beneath the street following the Saturday, July 23 rain that caused flooding throughout Palatine.

Motorists are advised to avoid the Hicks and Dundee intersection if at all possible.
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Arrow Down

US, Connecticut: SUV Lands in Sinkhole

Jeff Saperstone
NBC News, Connecticut
Sat, 23 Jul 2011 09:59 UTC
Sinkhole on West Raymond Street caused by water main break
Image
© unknown
A water main break on West Raymond Street in Hartford not only closed down the street but it also caused some problems for an SUV and its driver.

Willena Hardie's husband was backing out of their driveway when one of the front tires fell into a sinkhole.

"He was banged around and so frazzled, so he called me and that's what I found when I got here," she said.
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Attention

US, Florida: Sinkhole Eats Local Business

Millard K. Ives
Daily Commercial
Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00 UTC
Image
© unknownThe roof of Main Street Hair & Beauty Supply has caved in on Friday, July 22, 2011, in Leesburg.
The roof of a Leesburg business building has collapsed, weeks after a sinkhole gulped part of it.

As the roof of the Main Street Hair and Beauty Supply of Saaraa Corner Store crumpled, more debris, including a Dumpster, trees, boxes and beauty products, was pushed into the sinkhole.

However, city officials are adamant that the sinkhole is not growing, and attribute the collapse instead to the building's wooden trusses that gave way.

"There's no indication that it's growing," said Robert Sargent, a spokesman for the city of Leesburg, adding that soil around the edges of the hole also has fallen in.

The discovery of the sinkhole came on the early morning of June 27, when Rafeek Mohamid, owner of the property, received a call from his alarm company that something was wrong.
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Nuke

Threat to Japan's Food Chain Multiplies as Radiation Spreads

Aya Takada
Bloomberg
Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:10 UTC
Packs of beef
© Tomohiro Ohsumi/BloombergPacks of beef are displayed for sale in a supermarket in Fukushima prefecture, Japan.
Radiation threats to Japan's food chain are multiplying as cesium emissions from the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant spread more widely, moving from hay to cattle to beef.

Hay contaminated with as much as 690,000 becquerels a kilogram, compared with a government safety standard of 300 becquerels, has been fed to cattle. Beef with unsafe levels of the radioactive element was detected in four prefectures, the health ministry said July 23.

Agriculture Minister Michihiko Kano has said officials were unaware of the risk that rice farmers might ship tainted hay to cattle growers. That highlights the government's inability to think ahead and to act, said Mariko Sano, secretary general for Shufuren, a housewives organization in Tokyo.

"The government is so slow to move," Sano said. "They've done little to ensure food safety."
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Radar

US, California: Small earthquake hits Los Angeles area; no damage


The Examiner
Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:41 UTC
A small earthquake has hit the Los Angeles area, but there have been no reports of damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-3.3 temblor struck just after midnight Saturday. It hit 13 miles south of the Los Angeles Civic Center at a depth of about 10 miles.

Matt Spence with the Los Angeles Fire Department says no injuries or damages have been reported.

Source: The Associated Press
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Arrow Up

Australia: Freak weather forces waterfall to flow UPWARDS in extreme 75mph winds


The Daily Mail
Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:01 UTC
Extreme weather has been battering Australia this week.

Winds have become so strong that waterfalls have been blown upwards.

The strong winds, which are seriously affecting the waterways of southern Australia, have gone up to 75mph.

Image
© BBCExtreme: Winds in southern Australia are so strong that even waterfalls have been affected
Earlier this week, Sydney saw a month's worth of rain falling in just one day, according to the BBC.

Although the ferries which hundreds of commuters rely on have kept running, they have provided rocky rides for those brave enough to keep travelling on them.
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Bizarro Earth

Australia: Another dugong death

David Sparks
The Observer
Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:50 UTC
dudong
© ContributedThis dead dugong was found on Witt Island by Clive Last, who is increasing worried by marine animal deaths in Gladstone Harbour

Another dead dugong has been found in Gladstone Harbour, and the man who found it wants some answers.

Clive Last, who in May discovered a dead dolphin on Turtle Island, was shocked on Friday afternoon when he found the body of a dead dugong on Witt Island.

Mr Last is wary of suggestions marine animal deaths this year can be attributed to boat strikes and net fishing. He said those explanations didn't match his observations on the harbour.
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Bizarro Earth

Japan: Earthquake Magnitude 6.2 - Near the East Coast of Honshu


USGS
Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:01 UTC
Honshu Quake_240711
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Sunday, July 24, 2011 at 18:51:25 UTC

Monday, July 25, 2011 at 03:51:25 AM at epicenter

Location:
37.758°N, 141.540°E

Depth:
35.6 km (22.1 miles)

Region
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Distances:
79 km (49 miles) SE (133°) from Sendai, Honshu, Japan

94 km (59 miles) E (88°) from Fukushima, Honshu, Japan

95 km (59 miles) NE (36°) from Iwaki, Honshu, Japan

282 km (175 miles) NE (34°) from TOKYO, Japan
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